Thursday, 19 August 2010

Here is an article I wrote a while ago at my fishing blog. Not sure what got me to put it there other than the habit of writing down my thoughts. I think it is still valid, though a bit out of date. Let me know if you think it makes sense.

We apparently have an obesity crisis in North America.

The fear of lawsuits is forcing fast food restaurants to change their menus and include healthier alternatives to their burgers and fries.

What a burden that must be for them, after all if there were money to be made in fast, healthy alternatives wouldn't there be a McHealthy’s on every corner?

Why should there be a penalty for a merchant who sells a product that is legal, the risks are known and the public wants?

Here is the thing; it is not the fast food guys that are the problem.

We are demonizing the wrong people. Have you ever finished dinner and sat down to watch some television for the evening?

By bedtime you have been exposed to more food, snack and candy advertising than the average person can resist.

Just try not to have a snack during an evening of television. It is almost impossible.

I can go for hours without thinking of food in my daily life but a couple of hours in front of the tube can have me craving everything from chocolate to popcorn chicken, whatever the heck that is.

You want to cure the obesity crisis in North America? Get some control of the advertising agencies that are engaged in psychological warfare with consumers every day of their lives.

Think about it. If you advertise a product simply by telling people what it is, what it can do and where they can get it, people who want the product will buy it.

People who don't want the product won't buy it. Simple right?

Advertising in North America today though is not about offering a product for consideration. It is about convincing people that they want the product by manipulating psychological triggers from fear to hunger to sexual drives.

It would be interesting to know how many of our brightest and best thinkers make their livings developing the science and art of manipulating the rest of us into this consumer frenzy.

One has to wonder what the world would be like if they spent their time trying to solve real problems like feeding the hungry rather than tricking the already well fed into eating more.